15mm/28mm MODERN WARGAMING BLOG: The next campaign we have planned is WW2. Following an airborne company through the Normandy campaign. To give more significance to the men each man has a name. The big picture will be dealt with on a large map, while each action will be fought at the platoon to reinforced platoon level.

Sunday, 29 May 2016

99 Luftballon (15mm Force on Force AR)

The ambush was sprung, the infiltrator in the crowd of protesters revealed a Skorpion SMG and opened fire on the US Government agent. A large front-end loader parked in the field on the left of the convoy surged forward attempting to ram the HUMVEE and cut off the retreat of the convoy.

It was a fun game. The board was setup in Western Australia and the two players were in Queensland (nearly 3,700km apart). I used a smartphone with Skype to show the two players the board. It worked very well. We have done a few games like this (Pulp Alley see here) and FOF.

I think using a small number of troops makes this style of play possible.

The outcome was very close, down to the end of the final turn, it could have gone either way. I think when the ambushers lost initiative it became a lot harder to control.

I was hoping the ambushers would win, getting a few tactical nukes into their hands would have been fun. Though, I have heard that this was one of two ambushes of convoys carrying tactical nukes...

17 comments:

'Badgers, and dump trucks and pigs, oh my !''Fun' was not the first word I would have used for this game... 'Stark', 'Raving' ' and 'Lunacy' would come higher up the list. More twists (and bloodshed) than an episode of Games of Thrones. The arrival of the Monster Dump Truck especially was met with incredulous hilarity by both the Queensland players. A great game.For my part, I'm deeply sorry that I failed to follow the plot line, and escaped the ambush, despite the best attempts of my honourable opponent - and the perfidious umpire ! I promise to throw worse dice next time... ;~)

So near and yet so far! You're right: losing initiative felt like a key moment in the game. On the other hand, I probably should have pushed harder while I had it. A close assault on the Oshkosh early in the game may have pulled it off.

Great game though. The arrival of the dump truck was definitely the highlight! (I may have laughed slightly more than Mark.)

I love how you design a mission and think how it will turn out, then you give it to players and...what the hell?! When I did not scenario I expected the US to retreat to a safe position and then protect the convoy from there. Destroying the dump truck with LAWs. And then...Mark decided to just drive the Oshkosh through the bus like he was at some demolition derby! I also was surprised by your placement of troops, I did not expect the 6-man team to be put in the building, I imagined the sniper up there on overwatch...